Quick-connect plow hitch

ABSTRACT

The front mounting assembly has a vehicle-mounted frame and a plow-mounted frame that are drawn together by a lift actuator such as a hydraulic cylinder, and brought into registry by guides. When the frames are aligned, slides are advanced from one frame into slide receivers affixed to the other frame and secured thereto by pins. The guides include a pair of guide tabs, which protrude from the plow-mounted frame to guidably engage and subsequently cradle a horizontal lower bar on the vehicle-mounted frame, and a pair of angled upper guides on the plow-mounted frame, which engage a pair of vertical plates on the vehicle-mounted frame to help center the plow-mounted frame as it is pulled into position. For plows having a side wing, a rear mounting assembly engages and lifts a mounting block attached to the wing into a base member to which it is pinned.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hitches used to attach a snow plow to avehicle, and configured to allow the plow to be readily removed when itis desired to use the vehicle for other purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

For lighter plows such as are typically mounted to pick-up trucks, avariety of attachment systems have been developed that can be employedto mount a plow assembly. Two such patents teach a mounting for a plowthat clamps onto a vehicle-mounted frame using upper and lower hooks incombination with guiding elements; these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,114,270and 7,353,628. These patents share a common disclosure and teach a mounthaving a grasping mechanism which is guided into position as it closesby engagement of the upper hooks with an angled section of thevehicle-mounted frame and by engagement of angled surfaces on the lowerhooks with corresponding surfaces on the vehicle-mounted frame, thesesurfaces both centering the grasping mechanism and guiding a lower barof the vehicle-mounted frame into a trapped position. U.S. Pat. No.4,236,329, which was cited during prosecution of these '270 patent,teaches a mount having opposed upper and lower hooks at a fixedseparation that are engaged by parallel bars on the vehicle when thesebars are moved to a maximum separation into engagement with the hooks.All of these mounts are designed for lighter plows. One of the benefitsof the systems taught in the '270 and '628 patents is that, when theclamps are aligned with the bars (the truck is normal to the plowassembly) and the bars positioned therebetween (the truck is in closeproximity to the plow), the engagement of the clamps with the bars willresult in centering the plow with respect to truck.

For heavier duty plows, and particularly for plows having side wingattachments, a variety attachment systems have been developed. One suchcoupling device is taught in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,159. One limitation ofthis system is that the drive actuators of the attachment mechanismreside on the vehicle even when the plow is detached. However, thispatent again teaches a system where, if the plow coupling assembly issubstantially aligned with the front of the truck and in close proximitythereto, the structure will center the plow with respect to the truck.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The invention is a quick-release mounting system suitable for use withsnow plows, and well suited for heavy-duty plows; the system can beconfigured to be particularly beneficial for such plows when theyinclude a side wing. The system can have two distinct mountingassemblies that have particular utility when used together, a frontmounting assembly for attaching the structure associated with the frontplow to the vehicle (as well attaching a tower that provides a couplingbetween the front of the vehicle and a wing plow, when such isincluded), and a side mounting assembly that provides coupling betweenthe wing plow and the side of the vehicle. The front mounting assemblyalso provides benefits when used alone to mount a plow to the front of avehicle when no side wing plow is employed.

The front mounting assembly has a vehicle-mounted frame affixable to thevehicle. The vehicle-mounted frame has a lower bar extendinghorizontally and having a lower bar front surface and a lower bar rearsurface that have a maximum separation T, and a lower bar bottom.Attached to the lower bar of the frame is a pair of side plates. Theseside plates are normal to the lower bar and rise vertically therefrom.Each of the side plates has a forward projecting region which extendsforward beyond the lower bar, providing a vertical bearing surface. Anupper bar is attached to the side plates and spaced apart from the lowerbar. The vehicle-mounted frame also has a lift bracket attached to theupper bar, and at least one vehicle-mounted frame coupler; the purposesof these elements is discussed later.

The front mounting assembly also has a plow-mounted frame with asubstantially vertical body that is configured to couple to a plow. Theplow-mounted frame has a guide bar with a guide bar upper surface, aguide bar lower surface, and a guide bar rear surface. The plow-mountedframe also has a pair of guide tabs mounted to the guide bar lowersurface, each of the guide tabs having a guide tab upper surface. Thesetab upper surfaces in turn have an upper surface cradle section forming,in combination with the guide bar, a cradle for receiving the lower barof the vehicle-mounted frame. The tab upper surfaces can each also havean upper surface inclined section which is inclined so as to guide thelower bar into the upper surface cradle section when the plow-mountedframe is raised into engagement with the vehicle-mounted frame.

A pair of upper guides are also attached to the guide bar upper surface.Each of the upper guides has an upper guide top section, which isinclined, and an upper guide base section, which is vertical and affixedto the guide bar. The upper guides are so positioned on the guide barthat the upper guide base sections can slidably engage the verticalbearing surfaces on the forward projecting regions of the side plateswhen the plow-mounted frame is moved into engagement with thevehicle-mounted frame. The upper guide top sections are symmetrical withrespect to each other and inclined so as to direct the guide barrelative to the side plates to bring the upper guide base sections intoslidable engagement with the side plates as the plow-mounted frame israised into engagement with the vehicle-mounted frame.

The plow-mounted frame also has at least one plow-mounted frame couplerattached to the substantially vertical body so as to be verticallyspaced from the guide bar.

A lift actuator is provided to draw the plow-mounted frame intoengagement with the vehicle-mounted frame. The lift actuator is coupledto the guide bar and attachable to the lift bracket when the liftactuator is in an extended position, and after attachment can becontracted to draw the frames together. During the engagement process,the upper surfaces of the guide tabs engage the lower bar to providefore-and-aft positioning while the upper guides engage the side platesto provide side-to-side positioning, these guide elements acting todirect the plow-mounted frame into a work position relative to thevehicle-mounted frame when the lift actuator is contracted to bring theguide bar rear surface against the lower bar.

At least one linking element is provided for engagement with thevehicle-mounted frame coupler and the plow-mounted frame coupler, andthe linking element is configured to be secured to the vehicle-mountedframe and the plow-mounted frame so as to secure the frames together.

Means for blocking upwards motion of the plow-mounted frame with respectto the vehicle mounted frame when a work position is reached areprovided, at which position at least a portion of the lower bar isengaged by the guide bar rear surface and by the upper surface cradlesection of each of the guide tabs, and the upper guides engage the sideplates.

Finally, means for blocking rotation of the plow-mounted frame withrespect to the vehicle-mounted frame when the at least one linkingelement is secured in the couplers is provided. This means can be mostconveniently provided by the engagement of the lower bar with the guidebar rear surface and the upper surface cradle section.

When a wing plow is employed in combination with a front plow whichresides ahead of the vehicle, the wing plow is coupled both to the frontplow and to the vehicle. The wing plow has a front section which isattached to a wing plow tower, which in turn is attached to theplow-mounted frame that supports the front plow. A side mounted linkagesystem connecting between the wing plow and the vehicle allows a rearsection of the wing plow to be raised and lowered as well as to be movedtoward and away form the vehicle to which the wing plow is coupled. Whena quick-release mounting system is employed to attach the front plow tothe vehicle, it is beneficial to also provide a quick-release attachmentsystem for securing wing plow to the vehicle.

The side-mounting assembly of the present invention has a side wingmounting block which, in turn, has a side coupling structure that isconfigured to couple to the conventional side mounting linkage systemassociated with the wing plow, and has a mounting block lift element.

The side mounting assembly also has a mounting block lifting andsecuring mechanism which can be affixed with respect to a structuralelement of the vehicle and into which the side wing mounting block canbe lockably engaged. The mounting block lifting and securing mechanismhas a base element affixable to the vehicle, and configured to serve asa bracket into which the side wing mounting block can be mounted. Themounting block lifting and securing mechanism also has a slidertranslatably mounted to the base element so as to be extendable andretractable with respect to the vehicle. A slide actuator is operablyconnected to the base element and the slider to translate the sliderwith respect to the vehicle. A lift arm pivotably mounted to the sliderand has an arm lift element that is engagable with the mounting blocklift element.

A pivot actuator is operably connected between the slider and the liftarm for selectively lowering and raising the lift arm. The lift elementsare configured such that, when the arm lift element is placed under themounting block lift element and thereafter raised, the arm lift elementengages the mounting block lift element so as to support and carry themounting block lift element. Thus, when the lift arm is lowered and theslider extended to place the arm lift element under the mounting blocklift element, subsequently pivoting the lift arm to its raised positionacts to lift and carry the side wing mounting block with the lift arm,via the engagement of the lift elements. The slider can then beretracted to draw the lift arm and the side wing mounting block into thebase element.

Means for assuring that the mounting block is brought into alignmentwith respect to the base element as the slider is retracted so as totranslate the lift arm and the mounting block toward the vehicle andcarry the mounting block into the base element are provided, as well asmeans for securing the mounting block with respect to the base elementwhen aligned therewith and residing therein. Securing the mounting blockin the base element rigidly attaches the side coupling structure to thevehicle, allowing the side mounted linkage system for the wing plow tobe coupled to the vehicle.

BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a partially exploded isometric view of one embodiment of aquick release front mounting assembly of the present invention. Thisembodiment is configured for use of a plow that has a fixture forattaching a side wing plow, and includes structure for coupling to aside wing tower that, in turn, attaches to the front of such a side wingplow. The front mounting assembly has a vehicle-mounted frame and aplow-mounted frame, which are illustrated before being drawn intoregistry by a lift actuator. The lift actuator is a hydraulic cylinderthat is pivotably attached to the plow-mounted frame and terminates in ahook that can be manually engaged with a lift bracket on thevehicle-mounted frame. Once engaged, the lift actuator can be contractedto draw the frames together, and guides serve to align the frames asthey are drawn together.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of section 2-2 of FIG. 1 after the hook hasbeen placed into engagement with the lift bracket, but before the liftactuator has been contracted.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of the section 2-2 after the plow-mountedframe has been urged toward the vehicle-mounted frame by contraction ofthe lift actuator. In this position, guide tabs (only one of which isshown) on the plow-mounted frame engage a rectangular lower bar on thevehicle-mounted frame to guide the lower bar into a cradle formed, inpart, by the guide tabs to provide fore-and-aft registry of the frames.Upper guides (only one of which is shown) on the plow-mounted frame arepositioned to engage inner vertical bearing surfaces of side plates onthe vehicle-mounted frame to provide centering of the frames withrespect to each other. Upper guide top sections are inclined to urge theguide bar to a centered position relative to the side plates, and upperguide base sections subsequently slidably engage the vertical bearingsurfaces to maintain such centering.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of section 2-2 when the two frames have beenengaged and drawn into a work position with respect to each other, wherethe lower bar of the vehicle-mounted frame is engaged in the cradle ofthe plow-mounted frame, and the upper guides engage the side plates. Inthis position, slides mounted to the plow-mounted frame can be extendedand secured to paired tabs on the vehicle-mounted frame to secure theframes together. The engagement of the lower bar in the cradle preventsrotation about the axis of the securing pins. Once the frames are lockedtogether, hydraulic pressure in the lift actuator can be released.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of the front mounting assembly shown inFIGS. 1-4, with a side wing tower for coupling to a side wing plowattached to the plow-mounted frame. The front tower places anasymmetrical load on the plow-mounted frame, and to help balance theforces when the frames are drawn together, the lift bracket and the liftactuator are offset from the center toward the side of the vehicle onwhich the side wing plow is to be mounted.

FIG. 6 is an isometric view of an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention which shares many features in common with the embodiment shownin FIGS. 1-5, but which is designed for mounting a front plow that isused without a side wing plow. In this embodiment, the lift actuator andthe lift bracket are centrally located to balance forces as theplow-mounted frame is brought into registry with the vehicle-mountedframe. This embodiment also shows an alternate structure for the upperguides used to center the frames; in this embodiment, the upper guidesengage outer vertical bearing surfaces of the side plates.

FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view showing another embodiment of a frontmounting assembly; the partial view of FIG. 7 is similar to the viewshown in FIG. 2. In this embodiment, the frames employ round bars, thelift actuator terminates in a transverse pin that engages a hook-likelift bracket on the vehicle-mounted frame, and pivoting link arms areemployed in place of slides to provide link elements to pin the framestogether.

FIG. 8 is a partial view showing an alternative structure for the linkarm pivotably attached to the plow-mounted frame and the associatedreceiver affixed to the vehicle-mounted frame. In this embodiment, thelink arm terminates in a hook that engages a fixed transverse pin on thereceiver.

FIGS. 9-13 illustrate one embodiment of a side mounting assembly thatcan be employed to connect the rear of a side wing plow to a vehicle,and is designed for use in combination with the front mounting assemblyof the present invention. The side mounting assembly has a side wingmounting block that is configured to allow coupling to the wing plow andto in turn be picked up by a pivoting, translating lift arm. Once pickedup, the mounting block is brought into alignment with a base element, towhich it is secured by pins. FIG. 9 shows the side mounting assemblywhen the lift arm has been pivoted to a lowered position, but has notbeen translated away from the base element.

FIG. 10 illustrates the embodiment shown in FIG. 9 when a slider onwhich the lift arm is pivotably mounted has been translated to move thelift arm away from the base element and into position to engage the sidewing mounting block.

FIG. 11 illustrates the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9 and 10 when the liftarm has been pivoted upwards past vertical to a slightly inclinedposition, lifting the side wing mounting block to a position where itsweight is supported on the lift arm.

FIG. 12 illustrates the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-11 when the sliderand the lift arm attached thereto have been translatably retracted topull the side wing mounting block to bring a portion of the side wingmounting block into engagement with a bracket on the base element. Thelift arm and the side wing mounting block remain slightly inclined.

FIG. 13 illustrates the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-12 when the sidewing mounting block has been pulled further into the bracket. As theslider is fully retracted, the side wing mounting block is brought to asubstantially vertical position in the bracket. In this verticalposition, pins can be inserted through aligned passages through the sidewing mounting block and the bracket to secure them together.

FIG. 14 illustrates an embodiment similar to that shown in FIGS. 9-13,but which includes a chain hook attached to the lift arm to providegreater freedom in positioning the side wing mounting block. If the sidewing mounting block is located beyond the reach of the lift arm when theslider is extended, the chain hook is placed into engagement with theside wing mounting block after the lift arm has been pivoted downward.Pivoting the lift arm upwards then causes the chain hook to pull theside wing mounting block closer to the base element, to a position whereit can then be engaged by the lift arm and secured into the bracketfollowing a sequence such as illustrated in FIGS. 9-12. This embodimentalso shows extensions of the passages in the bracket to facilitatesecuring the pins that attach the mounting block thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of one embodiment of a quickrelease front mounting assembly 10 for providing at least a part of aquick attachment system for mounting a plow assembly (not shown) to avehicle (also not shown). FIGS. 2-5 show partial isometric views of thefront mounting assembly 10 in use.

The front mounting assembly 10 has a vehicle-mounted frame 12 that canbe affixed to the vehicle, typically by attaching members of thevehicle-mounted frame 12 to attachment points conventionally provided onthe vehicle for mounting a plow or similar implement thereto. Thevehicle-mounted frame 12 has a lower bar 14 which extends horizontally.The lower bar 14 shown is rectangular, having a lower bar front surface16 and a lower bar rear surface 18, which are separated by a lower barthickness T (labeled in FIG. 2), and a lower bar bottom surface 20. Itshould be appreciated that other bar configurations could be employed,in which case the effective thickness T is defined by the maximumseparation; for example, if the lower bar is round (as shown in FIG. 7below), the thickness T is the separation between two vertical tangentplanes.

The vehicle-mounted frame 12 also has a pair of side plates 22 that areaffixed with respect to the lower bar 14 and extend normally thereto.These side plates 22 are vertical, having inward-facing vertical bearingsurfaces 24 that are positioned at an inner separation S_(i) from eachother. Each of the side plates 22 has a forward-projecting region thatextends forward beyond the lower bar front surface 16. An upper bar 26is attached to the side plates 22 and spaced apart from the lower bar14. A lift bracket 28 and two pairs of slide-receiving tabs 30 areaffixed to the upper bar 26, the tabs 30 serving to provide a pair ofvehicle-mounted frame couplers as further discussed below. In the frontmounting system 10, the lift bracket 28 is located in an offset positionwhere it is displaced from the center of the vehicle as discussed belowwith regard to FIG. 5.

The front mounting assembly 10 is also provided with a plow-mountedframe 32 which has a substantially vertical body 34 configured to becoupled to a plow (not shown). The plow-mounted frame 32 has a guide bar36, which again is shown as a rectangular bar, having a guide bar uppersurface 38, a guide bar lower surface 40, and a guide bar rear surface42. The guide bar rear surface 42 engages the lower bar front surface 16when the two frames (12, 32) are engaged. Preferably, at least one ofthese surfaces (16, 42) is a discontinuous surface to accommodatetrapped snow and/or ice that might otherwise prevent these surfaces (16,42) from being drawn into contact. In the front mounting assembly 10,the guide bar rear surface 42 is formed on a pair of blocks 44 toprovide such a discontinuous surface. While these blocks 44 areillustrated in FIG. 1 as being affixed to the guide bar 36, it should beappreciated that they could alternatively be affixed to the frontsurface 16 of the lower bar 14 of the vehicle-mounted frame 12 toprovide a discontinuous lower bar front surface. The plow-mounted frame32 is also provided with a pair of slide mounts 46, which serve toprovide a pair of plow-mounted frame couplers, the purpose of which isdiscussed below.

A pair of guide tabs 48 attach to the guide bar lower surface 40 of theplow-mounted frame 32. As shown in FIG. 2, each of the guide tabs 48 hasa guide tab upper surface 50 with a portion designed to provide, incombination with the guide bar rear surface 42, a cradle for receivingthe lower bar 14 of the vehicle-mounted frame 12. In this embodiment,where the lower bar 14 is rectangular, the guide tab upper surface 50has an upper surface first section 52 extending normally to the guidebar rear surface 42 so as to be horizontal, and an upper section secondsurface 54 which is normal to the upper surface first section 52. Theupper surface first section 52 has a length L sufficient to accommodatethe thickness T of the lower bar 14 interposed between the upper surfacesecond section 54 and the guide bar rear surface 42, forming a cradlefor the lower bar 14. To help guide this cradle into contact with thelower bar 14 when the plow-mounted frame 32 is raised into registry withthe vehicle-mounted frame 12 (as discussed below and as illustrated inFIGS. 2-4), an upper surface third section 56 of the upper surface 50 isprovided, which is inclined with respect to the upper surface firstsection 52.

In addition to the pair of guide tabs 48 attaching to the plow-mountedframe 32, a pair of upper guides 58 are attached to the guide bar uppersurface 38 of the guide bar 36. These upper guides 58 have a firstsection 60 which is vertical and normal to the guide bar upper surface38 and are attached thereto. A second section 62 extends the upperguides 58, and in this embodiment the second sections 62 are cantedinward. The upper guides 58 are positioned such that the first sections60 are separated by the inner separation S_(i) and will thereforslidably engage the forward-projecting regions of the side plates 22when the plow-mounted frame 32 is drawn toward the vehicle-mounted frame12, with the upper guides 58 engaging the inward-facing vertical bearingsurfaces 24 of the side plates 22.

To lift the vehicle-mounted frame 12 and draw it into engagement withthe plow-mounted frame 32, a lift actuator 64 is provided. The liftactuator 64 is coupled to the guide bar 36, and can be manually engagedwith the lift bracket 28 mounted to the upper bar 26. The lift actuator64 illustrated is a hydraulic cylinder. The details of how the liftactuator 64 provides the relative motion of the frames (12, 32) isillustrated in FIGS. 2-4. The lift actuator 64 is pivotally attached tothe plow-mounted frame 32 and, in this embodiment, terminates in a hook66 that is configured to be engaged with a transverse rod 68 that formsa part of the lift bracket 28. When the lift actuator 64 is extended,the hook 66 is manually engaged with the lift bracket 28 by the user,providing greater freedom in positioning and alignment of the frames(12, 32) to be attached together, and thereby reducing the need forprecision in positioning the vehicle in preparation to mounting the plowthereto. Once the hook 66 has been engaged, as shown in FIG. 2, theoperator activates the lift actuator 64 so as to reduce its length anddraw the two frames (12 and 32) into closer proximity, as shown in FIGS.3 and 4.

FIG. 3 illustrates the relative positions of the two frames (12, 32)when they have been drawn together a sufficient distance to draw thelower bar 14 into engagement with the upper surface third section 56 ofthe upper surface 50 of the guide tab 48, which is inclined with respectto the upper surface first section 52. Additionally, the second section62 of the upper guide 58 is positioned to engage the inward facingvertical bearing surface 24 of one of the side plates 22 as needed tocenter the plow-mounted frame 32 relative to the vehicle-mounted frame12.

To accommodate a greater degree of horizontal spacing between the frames(12, 32), the upper surface 50 of the guide tabs 48 can be provided withan upper surface fourth section 70 that extends beyond the upper surfacethird section 56 to prevent the guide tabs 48 from being lifted past thelower bar 14 of the vehicle-mounted frame 12 without engagement.

FIG. 4 illustrates the front mounting assembly 10 when the two frames(12, 32) have been brought into a work position where the lower bar 14is positioned with the lower bar front surface 16 engaged with the guidebar rear surface 42 and the lower bar rear surface 18 engaged with theupper surface second sections 54 of the guide tabs 48.

Means for limiting the upward motion of the plow-mounted frame 32relative to the vehicle-mounted frame 12 are provided to define the workposition and register the two frames (12, 32) with respect to each otherbefore securing the frames (12, 32) together. Such means for limitingcan be conveniently provided by either engagement of the lower barbottom surface 20 against the upper surface first sections 52 of theguide tabs 48, by engagement of the side plates 22 with the guide barupper surface 38, or both.

As noted above, the vehicle-mounted frame 12 is provided with pairedslide-receiving tabs 30 and the plow-mounted frame 32 is provided withslide mounts 46, these elements serving as couplers. To secure theplow-mounted frame 32 to the vehicle-mounted frame 12 when the frames(12, 32) have been registered with respect to each other in the workposition, a pair of slides 72 are provided to serve as link elements.Each of the slides 72 slidably engages one of the slide mounts 46 on theplow-mounted frame 32. The slide mounts 46 are positioned such that,when the plow-mounted frame 32 is in the work position relative to thevehicle-mounted frame 12, the slide mounts 46 direct the slides 72, whenextended therefrom, into the slide-receiving tabs 30. The slides 72 andthe tabs 30 are provided with passages 74 that can be aligned to receivesecuring pins 76, these pins 76 serving to secure the slides 72 to thetabs 30, while slide blocks 78 on the slides 72 serve to secure theslides 72 to the slide mounts 46. Thus, the slides 72 serve as linkingelements that engage the couplers (tabs 30 and slide mounts 46) on theframes (12, 32) and can be secured thereto in order to secure the frames(12, 32) together.

To provide a rigid mounting of the plow relative to the vehicle, meansfor blocking rotation of the plow-mounted frame 32 with respect to thevehicle-mounted frame 12 when the slides 72 are secured to the tabs 30and the slide mounts 46 are provided. In the front mounting assembly 10,relative rotation between the frames (12, 32) about the axis of thesecuring pins 76 is blocked by the engagement of the lower bar 14against the guide bar 36 and the guide tabs 48.

When a wing plow such as is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,744,159 is to bemounted along the side of the vehicle, the plow-mounted frame 32includes suitable tower mounting brackets 80 on one side, to which awing plow tower 82 is mounted, as shown in FIG. 5. The wing plow tower82 is configured to provide structure for coupling to the front end of aside wing plow (not shown). Such a wing plow tower 82 allows the frontof the wing plow (not shown) to be selectively raised or lowered. Thetower 82 has flanges 84 for affixing the tower 82 to the tower mountingbrackets 80.

Because the wing plow tower 82 and the wing plow structure coupledthereto place an off-center load on the plow-mounting frame 32, the liftactuator 64 is affixed to the plow-mounted frame 32 in a position thatis offset from the center toward the side on which the tower mountingbrackets 80 are placed. Similarly, the lift bracket 28 is offset fromthe center of the vehicle-mounted frame 12. The offset of the liftbracket 28 and the lift actuator 64 helps to balance forces when thelift actuator 64 is activated to raise the plow-mounted frame 32 intoregistry with the vehicle-mounted frame 12.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative quick-release front mounting assembly10′ that shares many features in common with the front mounting assembly10 discussed above, but which is designed for use mounting a plow to thefront of a vehicle for use without a side wing plow. Thus, there is nomounting structure on the plow-mounted frame 32′ for attaching a wingplow front mounting structure. In this case, to balance the forces whenlifting the plow-mounted frame 32′ into registry with thevehicle-mounted frame 12′, the lift actuator 64′ is centrally mountedwith respect to the plow-mounted frame 32′, and the lift bracket 28′ iscentrally positioned on the upper bar 26′ of the vehicle-mounted frame12′.

The front mounting assembly 10′ also illustrates an alternativeconfiguration of the upper guides 58′. In this embodiment, the upperguides 58′ are configured to engage outer bearing surfaces 24′ of theside plates 22, which have an outer separation S_(o), rather than theinner surfaces 24. Each of the upper guides 58′ has a first section 60′,which attaches to the guide bar 36′, and has a second section 62′, wherethe second sections 62′ are inclined away from each other as theirheight increases so as to provide sloped surfaces to engage the outerbearing surfaces 24′ of the side plates 22 to help center theplow-mounted frame 32′ with respect to the vehicle-mounted frame 12′.

FIG. 7 is a partial isometric view of a front mounting assembly 100 thatforms another embodiment of the present invention; the view of FIG. 7 issimilar to the view of FIG. 2 discussed above. The front mountingassembly 100 functions in a similar manner to the assembly 10, butdiffers in some of the details of its structure. The front mountingassembly 100 has a vehicle-mounted frame 102 having a lower bar 104 andan upper bar 106 that are formed of round, rather than rectangularstock. As a result, a lower bar front surface 108, a lower bar rearsurface 110, and a lower bar bottom surface 112 are sections of acontinuous cylindrical surface, rather than discrete surfaces, and thelower bar 104 has an effective thickness T defined by the maximumseparation between the lower bar front surface 108 and the lower barrear surface 110.

Similarly, a plow-mounted frame 114 has a guide bar 116 that is round,having a guide bar rear surface 118 and a guide bar upper surface 120that are sections of a continuous cylindrical surface. A pair of guidetabs 122 (only one of which is shown) are mounted to the guide bar 116,each having a guide bar upper surface 124 with an upper surface cradlesection 126 configured to provide, in combination with the guide barrear surface 118, a cradle for the lower bar 104. When the frames (102,114) are secured together as discussed below, the engagement between thelower bar 104 and the cradle formed by the upper surface cradle section126 and the guide bar rear surface 118 provides means for blockingrotation of the frames (102, 114) with respect to each other.

The front mounting assembly 100 also differs in that it employs a liftactuator 128 that terminates in a transverse bar 130, while thevehicle-mounted frame 102 is provided with a lift bracket 132 formed bya pair of hooks 134, with which the transverse bar 130 can be engaged.

An additional difference in the front mounting assembly 100 is the useof pivoting link arms 136 (only one of which is shown) as linkingelements to secure together the frames (102, 114). The link arms 136 areeach pivotably engaged at one end to a substantially vertical body 138of the plow-mounted frame 114, and having a passage 140 at the other endwhich can be pinned to a pair of arm-receiving tabs 142 affixed to thevehicle-mounted frame 102 to secure the link arms 136 thereto.

While the use of pins to secure the linking elements to at least one ofthe frames provides a secure connection, alternate connections could beemployed. As one example, FIG. 8 illustrates a pivoting link arm 136′having a downwardly-open notch 140′ that is configured to securablyengage a transverse pin 144 extending between a pair of tabs 142′.

If wing plow such as described in the '159 patent is to be employedalong with a front-mounted plow, then not only is a tower such asdescribed and illustrated in FIG. 5 needed, but the wing plow will alsorequire a wing rear mounting structure to couple the rear structureassociated with the wing plow to the vehicle. To quickly attach the wingrear mounting securely to the vehicle, it is preferred to attach thewing rear mounting structure to the vehicle via a side mountingassembly. The side mounting assembly has a side wing mounting block,which is configured to provide the appropriate mounting structure forcoupling the back of the wing plow thereto, in combination with amounting block securing mechanism mounted on the vehicle, which servesto engage the side wing mounting block and move it into a position whereit can be secured to the vehicle. One such side mounting assembly istaught in the '159 patent, which illustrates a side wing mounting blockequipped with a hook and a mounting block securing mechanism with apivoting arm terminating in a bar that it pivoted up into engagementwith the hook, this engagement serving to allow the arm to lift the sidewing mounting block and swing it into a bracket to which it can then besecured by pins. However, greater freedom of positioning and ease of usecan be attained by employing a side mounting assembly of the presentinvention as discussed below.

FIGS. 9-13 illustrate one embodiment of a side mounting assembly 200 ofthe present invention. The side mounting assembly 200 has a side wingmounting block 202 that has a side coupling structure 204 that isconfigured to be coupled to the conventional side mounting linkages of awing plow (not shown); this structure provides a conventional connectioncoupling to the rear side structure that allows the wing plow to eitherbe moved away from the vehicle to which the plow is mounted or be drawnin against the side of the vehicle. The side wing mounting block 202also has a mounting block lift element, which in this embodiment isprovided by a horizontal pin 206, and a mounting block mating surface208 that faces away from the side coupling structure 204.

The side wing mounting block 202 in turn is engaged and lifted by amounting block lifting and securing mechanism 210. The lifting andsecuring mechanism 210 has a base element 212 that can be affixed to theside of a vehicle (not shown) and which includes a bracket 214 intowhich the mounting block 202 can be secured.

The lifting and securing mechanism 210 has a slider 216 that istranslatably mounted to the base element 212. A slide actuator 218, suchas a hydraulic cylinder, is operably connected between the slider 216and the base element to translate the slider 216 relative to the vehicleto which the base element 212 is affixed.

A lift arm 220 is pivotably mounted to the slider 216, providing thelift arm 220 with translational motion for increased flexibilitycompared to the mechanism of the '059 patent. The additional degree ofmotion provided by the slider 216 allows the operator to separate theactions of positioning the lift arm 220 at the correct angle to engagethe side wing mounting block 202 and then moving it to the correctdistance for such engagement.

The lift arm 220 is provided with an arm lift element configured tosupportably engage the mounting block lift element; thus, in thisembodiment, where the mounting block lift element is provided by thehorizontal pin 206, the arm lift element is provided by a hook 222 forengaging the pin 206. It should be appreciated that the relativepositions of the hook and the horizontal pin could be reversed.

The angle of the lift arm 220 relative to the slider 216 is adjusted bya pivot actuator 224 that is operably connected between the slider 216and the lift arm 220 so as to raise and lower the lift arm 220 in avertical plane (as illustrated in FIGS. 9-11). FIGS. 9 and 10 illustratethe lift arm 220 when it is in a lowered position, where it issubstantially inclined and the hook 222 is at a suitable height to bebrought into engagement with the pin 206 of the side wing mounting block202. In the side mounting assembly 200, both of the actuators (218, 224)are provided by hydraulic cylinders. The pivot actuator 224 is mountedwith respect to the slider 216 so as to decouple the pivoting motionthat it provides from the translational motion of the slider 216.

In typical use, the lift arm 220 is first pivoted by extending the pivotactuator 224 to lower the hook 222 to an appropriate height to match theheight of the pin 206 of the side wing mounting block 202, as shown inFIGS. 9 and 10. Once the lift arm 220 has been pivoted to achieve thedesired height, the slide actuator 218 is extended as shown in FIG. 10to translate the slider 216 outward from the base element 212. The pivotactuator 224 is mounted between the slider 216 and the lift arm 220, andthus the lift arm 220 and the slider 216 translate as a unit. The slideactuator 218 is extended far enough to move the hook 222 on the lift arm220 into a position such that it either engages the pin 206 or residesslightly below the pin 206, in a position where is moved into engagementwith the pin 206 when the lift arm 220 is subsequently pivoted upwards.Once the hook 222 has been positioned as desired, the pivot actuator 224is retracted to raise the lift arm 220, and the hook 222 engages andlifts the pin 206, as shown in FIG. 11.

Preferably, the side wing mounting block 202 and the lift arm 220 areconfigured such that pivoting the lift arm 220 brings the mounting blockmating surface 208 into engagement with an arm mating surface 226 on thelift arm 220. This engagement allows the lift arm 220 to support theside wing mounting block 202 when the lift arm 220 is pivoted slightlypast a vertical position to a position where these mating surfaces (208,226) are inclined with respect to the vertical by an angle α of about 5°(shown in FIG. 11). In this position, the side wing mounting block 202is supported on the lift arm 220, stabilizing it during the subsequentmotion. Depending on the relative positions of the lift arm 220 and theside wing mounting block 202, pivoting the lift arm 220 to this positionmay also bring a portion of the lift arm 220 into a portion of a channel228 formed in the bracket 214, in turn drawing a portion of the sidewing mounting block 202 between angled guides 230 that serve to guidethe side wing mounting block 202 into alignment with the base element212.

Once the lift arm 220 has been raised to lift and carry the side wingmounting block 202, as shown in FIG. 11, the slide actuator 218 isretracted to draw the lift arm 220 back inwards toward the vehicle, asshown in FIG. 12. The lift arm 220 draws the side wing mounting block202 with it, into engagement with the angled guides 230 that serve toalign the side wing mounting block 202 with the base element 212. Asshown in FIG. 12, the slider 216 has not been fully retracted to pullthe lift arm 220 into the base element 212, and the lift arm 220 remainsin its inclined position. It has been found that such a slightlyinclined position aids in bringing the side wing mounting block 202 intoalignment with the base element 212, as the upper portion is firstbrought into alignment and then the lower portion. To fully retract thelift arm 220, it must be allowed to pivot back to a substantiallyvertical position to allow bringing the side wing mounting block 202into a position where passages 232 in the base element 212 and the sidewing mounting block 202 (shown in FIGS. 9-11) are aligned. This pivotingcan be accommodated by incrementally releasing pressure on the pivotactuator 224 as the slide actuator 218 is fully retracted, and/or byproviding a loose connection between the pivot actuator 224 and the liftarm 220.

Once the slider 216 has been fully retracted and the side wing mountingblock 202 has been guided into position, as shown in FIG. 13, securingpins 234 can be inserted through the aligned passages 232 (shown inFIGS. 11 and 12 before alignment) to affix the side wing mounting block202 to the base element 212, thereby affixing the side wing mountingblock 202 to the vehicle on which the base element 212 is affixed.

While the combined pivoting and translational action of the sidemounting assembly 200 provides greater freedom than prior art devices inthe initial positioning of the side wing mounting block 202 relative tothe base element 212, there may still be occasions when the extension ofthe slider 216 is not sufficient to bring the lift arm 220 into positionto engage and lift the side wing mounting block 202 as the lift arm 220is raised. In such cases, increased flexibility in positioning can beobtained as is illustrated in the side mounting assembly 200′ shown inFIG. 14. In this embodiment, a lift arm 220′ is provided with a chainhook 236, which can be conveniently stored inside a cavity (not shown)provided in the lift arm 220′ when not in use. The chain hook 236 isattached to the lift arm 220′ near the (rigid) hook 222, and when thelift arm 220′ is pivoted outward from the base element 212′, the chainhook 236 can be manually engaged with the pin 206 of the side wingmounting block 202. Thereafter, when the lift arm 220′ is pivoted backto a raised position, the chain hook 236 will draw the side wingmounting block 202 closer to the base element 212′, bringing it to aposition where it can subsequently be engaged by the lift arm 220′ inthe manner illustrated in FIGS. 9-13 for the lift arm 220, after thechain hook 236 has been manually disengaged from the pin 206.

FIG. 14 also shows the base element 212′ having sleeves 238 throughwhich the passages 232′ are provided, allowing easy access for the userto insert cotter pins 240 through the sleeves 238 and through thesecuring pins 234′ (only one of which is shown) to retain the securingpins 234′ in place. In contrast, the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9-13requires the user to reach behind the structure to insert cotter pins(not shown) to retain the securing pins 234.

While the novel features of the present invention have been described interms of particular embodiments and preferred applications, it should beappreciated by one skilled in the art that substitution of materials andmodification of details can be made without departing from the spirit ofthe invention.

What I claim is:
 1. A quick-attachment system for mounting a plow to avehicle, the quick-attachment system comprising: a vehicle-mounted frameaffixable to the vehicle and having, a lower bar extending horizontallyand having a lower bar front surface and a lower bar rear surface havinga maximum separation T, and having a lower bar bottom surface, a pair ofside plates affixed with respect to said lower bar, said side platesbeing normal to said lower bar so as to extend vertically, said sideplates each having a forward projecting region which extends forwardbeyond said lower bar to provide vertical bearing surfaces, an upper barattached to said side plates and spaced apart from said lower bar, alift bracket attached to said upper bar, and at least onevehicle-mounted frame coupler mounted to said upper bar; a plow-mountedframe having, a substantially vertical body configured to be coupled toa plow, a guide bar affixed to said substantially vertical body andhaving a guide bar upper surface, a guide bar lower surface, and a guidebar rear surface, at least one plow-mounted frame coupler mounted tosaid substantially vertical body so as to be vertically spaced from saidguide bar, a pair of guide tabs mounted to said guide bar, each of saidguide tabs having a guide tab upper surface with an upper surface cradlesection forming, in combination with said guide bar, a cradle forreceiving said lower bar of said vehicle-mounted frame, and a pair ofupper guides attached to said guide bar upper surface, each of saidupper guides having an upper guide top section and an upper guide basesection, said upper guide top sections being inclined with respect to avertical plane and being symmetrical with respect to each other so as todirect said guide bar relative to said side plates as said plow-mountedframe is raised into engagement with said vehicle-mounted frame, andsaid upper guide base sections being vertical and normal to said guidebar upper surface, said upper guides being so positioned on said guidebar that said upper guide base sections slidably engage said verticalbearing surfaces of said side plates when said plow-mounted frame isdrawn towards said vehicle-mounted frame; a lift actuator coupled tosaid guide bar and attachable to said lift bracket, said lift actuatorbeing activatable to draw said guide bar into engagement with said lowerbar, said guide tab upper surfaces engaging said lower bar and saidupper guides engaging said side plates so as to direct said guide barinto a work position when said lift actuator is contracted to bring saidguide bar rear surface against said lower bar; means for blockingupwards motion of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehiclemounted frame at the work position, where at least a portion of saidlower bar is engaged by said guide bar rear surface and by said uppersurface cradle section of each of said guide tabs and said upper guidesengage said side plates; at least one linking element for engaging saidcouplers on said vehicle-mounted frame and said plow-mounted frame andsecurable therewith to secure said frames together; and means forblocking rotation of said plow-mounted frame with respect to saidvehicle-mounted frame when said at least one linking element is securedto said couplers.
 2. The quick-attachment system of claim 1 wherein saidat least one vehicle-mounted frame coupler is provided by a pair ofcouplers, said at least one plow-mounted frame coupler is provided by apair of couplers, and said at least one linking element is provided by apair of linking elements.
 3. The quick-attachment system of claim 2wherein said linking elements remain engaged with said plow-mountedframe couplers when said plow-mounted frame is removed from engagementwith said vehicle-mounted frame.
 4. The quick-attachment system of claim3 wherein, each of said vehicle-mounted frame couplers is provided by aslide receiver affixed to said upper bar, each of said plow-mountedframe couplers is provided by a slide mount formed on said substantiallyvertical body, and each of said linking elements is provided by a slidethat slidably engages one of said slide mounts such that, when saidframes are engaged in said work position with respect to each other,said slide can be translatably extended into one of said slidereceivers.
 5. The quick-attachment system of claim 4 wherein said slidesand said slide receivers have aligned passages when said slides areextended into said slide receivers, allowing said slides to be securedto said slide receivers by securing pins inserted through said alignedpassages.
 6. The quick-attachment system of claim 3 wherein, each ofsaid vehicle-mounted frame couplers is provided by a link receiveraffixed to said upper bar, each of said linking elements is provided bya link arm, and each of said plow-mounted frame couplers is provided bya link pivot bracket formed on said substantially vertical body andpivotably connecting one of said link arms thereto such that, when saidframes are engaged in said work position with respect to each other,said link arm can be pivoted into one of said link receivers.
 7. Thequick-attachment system of claim 5 wherein said lower bar issubstantially rectangular such that said lower bar front surface andsaid lower bar rear surface are parallel to each other and said lowerbar bottom is formed by a surface normal thereto, further wherein saidguide bar is substantially rectangular such that said guide bar uppersurface and said guide bar lower surface are parallel to each other,separated by the separation T, and are normal to said guide bar rearsurface, still further wherein said upper surface cradle section of eachof said guide tabs further comprises: an upper surface first sectionextending substantially normal to said guide bar rear surface, and anupper surface second section which is normal to said upper surface firstsection so as to extend substantially parallel to said guide bar rearsurface and spaced apart therefrom by the lower bar thickness T, wherebyengagement of said lower bar between said guide bar rear surface andsaid upper section second section provides said means for blockingrotation of said plow-mounted frame with respect to said vehicle-mountedframe, yet further wherein said guide bar upper surface furthercomprises: an upper surface inclined section which is inclined so as toguide said lower bar into said upper surface cradle section when saidplow-mounted frame is raised into engagement with said vehicle-mountedframe.
 8. The quick-attachment system of claim 7 wherein at least one ofsaid guide bar rear surface and said lower bar front surface is adiscontinuous surface provided by at least one block.
 9. Thequick-attachment system of claim 8 wherein said substantially verticalbody of said plow-mounted frame further comprises: a raised barextending parallel to said guide bar.
 10. The quick-attachment system ofclaim 9 wherein the system is designed for use with a side wing plowhaving a tower mounted alongside the vehicle, said plow-mounted framefurther comprising: a tower mounting flange affixed to each of saidraised bar and said guide bar and configured to allow attaching thetower thereto, further wherein said lift bracket is offset towards saidtower mounting flange on said upper bar and said lift actuator iscoupled to said guide bar at a location offset towards said towermounting flange on said guide bar.
 11. The quick-attachment system ofclaim 5 wherein said lift bracket has a transverse pin extendingsubstantially parallel to said upper bar of said vehicle-mounted frameand said lift actuator terminates in a hook that is manually attachableto said transverse pin.
 12. The quick-attachment system of claim 5wherein said means for blocking upwards motion of said plow-mountedframe with respect to said vehicle mounted frame at the work position isprovided, at least in part, by engagement of said guide bar surface withsaid side plates.
 13. The quick-attachment system of claim 5 whereinsaid vertical bearing surfaces of said side plates face each other andsaid upper guide top sections are inclined towards each other as theyextend above said guide bar.